A Stormy Vacation
by FaithInHim4ever
Summary: While on a vacation to Atlantica, Melody encounters Stormy. Will she be able to help him like Ariel did so many years before? R/R


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the characters from TLM. They belong to Disney. I do however own Melody Noelle Coralsen, along with anyone you don't recognize.  
God loves you  
Enjoy!

A/N: "Stormy" is one of my favorite episodes of TLM. I've wanted to write a return story for him for a while now. I also wanted to have him and my Melody meet. So here we go! Hang on tight!

"A Stormy Vacation"

Eleven-year-old Melody Noelle Coralsen squirmed excitedly in her chair at the table in King Triton's palace.

She was waiting for her grandfather to make an announcement. He had said he had some exciting news for Melody and her cousins.

Azara was especially anxious to hear what their grandfather had in store.

Melody knew her grandfather liked treating her every once in a while when she came to visit.

She hadn't been to visit them in a few months due to school.

But now that it was summertime, she had more time to spend with her family in Atlantica.

Melody had come to Atlantica to visit her family there for the next month. She was looking forward to spending more time with her cousins-especially Azara.

Melody had been to Atlantica without her mother several times over the last three years. She was fine on her own and Ariel knew her father would take good care of her precious Melody.

"What do you think the surprise is?" Azara asked. She was thirteen, but she still enjoyed getting surprises.

Pearl shrugged. Even though she was nineteen, she still enjoyed her grandfather's surprises as well. She loved being a part of such a big family.

"Whatever it its," Sebastian commented from Melody's left, "I just hope it doesn't land me in trouble."

Melody giggled.

"Sebastian, you worry too much." The young mermaid observed.

Pearl nodded.

"Yeah. Grandfather wouldn't do that."

"You're right. " Sebastian consented. "You tree do it enough."

This just got Melody giggling harder.

Finally, after dessert was served, Triton cleared his throat.

Melody sat up so straight in her chair, Sebastian wondered how she didn't get a back ache.

"Like I said at lunch," the king began. "I have a surprise for you all."

Melody held her breath.

"I got all three of you tickets to the sea carnival."

A cheer erupted from Melody as well as Azara.

Pearl smiled politely, but she wasn't really in the mood to go to a carnival.

Besides, she had gone to it since she was five-years-old. It was the same every year.

"This is gonna be so cool!" Melody exclaimed excitedly. She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around Triton's neck. "Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you!"

"Aw, you're welcome, sweetheart." Triton said as he hugged back. "I remember when I first took your mother and your aunts. Your mother was about six and…"

Melody tried to listen, but it was hard. As much as she loved hearing about her mother's life under the waves, she couldn't wait to experience the carnival for herself.

She had been to carnivals on land before, but something told the just turned ten-year-old that this was going to be different.

Needless to say, Melody had trouble sleeping that night. She wanted the next day to come already so she could go to the carnival.

Even though her grandfather had said it was going to be until after lunch, Melody was still excited to get there.

Finally, somewhere around midnight, Melody finally fell asleep.

The next morning, Melody was up long before anyone else. She lay in bed and thought about the carnival and what it would be like.

After a half an hour of thinking about it, the ten-year-old swam out of bed and started getting ready. She wanted to get down to breakfast and talk to her cousins.

As she and her cousins ate, Azara told her about the few times she had been to the sea carnival and what it was like.

Pearl chimed in from time to time, but she mostly ate and listened to Azara chatter on about what she remembered.

Before Melody knew it, she was sitting in a row of coral seats at the sea carnival.

She could barely contain her excitement as she waited for the show to begin.

Her grandfather had bought a few snacks for her and her cousins to munch on as they watched it.

Azara had told her about some of the attractions before they had gotten there.

Melody was most interested in the horse show. She loved horses-especially seahorses.

Since she was allergic to hay, she couldn't really be around land horses as much.

As Melody gazed around the stadium, she noticed how big it was.

Fish and mer people were everywhere. Some were selling things while others just talked to friends until the show started.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the ringmaster, a giant squid, came onto the stage.

"Welcome one and all to Atlantica's sea carnival! We have a great show in store for you today! Now without any further announcements, let the show begin!"

And begin it did.

Melody enjoyed every minute of it.

"And now!" The ringmaster said about forty-five minutes into the show, "is the moment you've all been waiting for! Atlantica's annual sea carnival presents the seahorse show spectacular!" With that, a few seahorses came out with riders on their backs.

The riders performed aquabatics while riding them, amazing the crowd and making Melody smile from ear to ear. She definitely knew what she wanted to do for the talent competition in the Atlantica sea games this year.

Melody's thoughts of the sea games were interrupted when the ringmaster took the stage halfway through the seahorse show.

"I'm sorry folks, but I'm afraid we'll have to skip the end of the seahorse show spectacular. One of our horses isn't being very cooperative. Send in the clowns!"

Melody frowned in disappointment. She hoped the horse in question was all right. She also hoped he or she wouldn't be punished for not being able to perform.

Throughout the rest of the show, Melody couldn't get her mind off the horse. She wished there was a way she could check on it.

It wasn't until intermission that she got her chance.

"You may look around a little bit." Triton told his three grandchildren. "But be careful and stick together. And don't go too far. " He eyed Azara as he said this last part.

"Yes Grandfather." Azara said with a sigh.

Once he was gone, Azara beamed.

"Let's go!"

"Wait!" Melody said. "I wanna check something out."

Azara grinned.

"I love it when you come to visit." She said.

Melody giggled, but swam quickly nonetheless. She wanted to find the horse and get back before her grandfather missed them.

After a few minutes of swimming, Azara posed a question to her younger cousin.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"You'll see." Melody told her.

She glanced around to try and figure out where they were.

Spotting a tent off to the side of the main stadium, she swam for it.

The minute she got inside, she knew she was in the right place.

The reason was, she could hear whinnying coming from within.

It sounded desperate and frantic.

"Hang on." Melody said softly as she swam towards the sound.

The moment she reached the stall in question, her jaw about hit the ground. She couldn't believe it, but there he was plain as day.

"Stormy?" She asked as though she wasn't sure she was seeing right.

Ariel had told Melody the story about Stormy every night ever since she was six-years-old. She had described him to a T and Melody never forgot what he looked like.

Here he was, right in front of her.

He was grey and white with large amber eyes that seemed to take everything in at once.

"Stormy." She said a little more softly.

As she swam closer, Stormy let out a warning grunt, but Melody didn't let that stop her.

"Shh, shh," She assured him as her mother had done. "It's okay, boy. I'm Melody. I won't hurt you. I'm gonna help you." With that, she reached her hand out and patted Stormy's nose.

Surprisingly, Stormy stayed still and let the little girl pet him. He didn't know why, but he saw something familiar and comforting in her. She reminded him of someone else. Someone who had helped him instead of hurt him.

"Mom was right." Melody said more to herself than to Stormy. "You're beautiful."

Stormy moved closer to Melody and nuzzled her hand, making her giggle.

"You're a sweet boy. Yes you are. You know who I am, don't you?" She asked in realization. "You know who my mother is."

Stormy responded by grunting softly as though confirming her statement.

Just then, Melody heard her name being called. She had lost Azara in the crowd, but now it seemed her cousin had found her.

"Melody! Come on! The show's starting again."

Stormy started at the arrival of the newcomer.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. It's okay, Stormy. Azara wont' hurt you. She's a friend of mine." Melody assured him. She then started humming the song Ariel had sung to Stormy in an effort to calm him down.

It was true Melody was one octave lower than her mother, but she prayed the familiar tune would calm her new friend all the same.

She was right when Stormy started to relax.

"Thatta boy." Melody praised. "That's it. All right, Stormy. Let's get you out of here." With that, she started to untie the ropes holding Stormy to the stall wall.

Once they were undone, Melody took a deep breath as well as a giant leap of faith. She carefully, but quickly climbed on Stormy's back and held on tightly.

"Easy does it. That's it, Stormy. We're just gonna take a nice ride to the…" Melody's voice trailed off as Stormy bolted for freedom.

She had never gone this fast in her life!  
"Stormy, no!" Melody cried as she desperately tried to keep a firm grip on the reins. "Stormy, slow down! Please!"

But it was no use. Stormy was swimming for his life and he wasn't slowing down for anyone or anything.

Melody tried everything she had learned from riding the tame horses at the palace, but nothing seemed to work.

'If only I can get him to go back to the palace.' Melody thought desperately.

It was then that she got an idea. Gently pulling on the reins, she prayed Stormy understood what the signal meant.

She was proven right when Stormy obeyed the command.

"Good boy." Melody praised as she tried her best to hang on.

As she saw the palace come into view, two guards scattered as Stormy hurdled towards them.

He made it into the palace and started down a hallway.

Finally, ten minutes later, Stormy slowed down.

Melody sighed with relief as she slid off his back.

"That was one wild ride!" She said breathlessly. "Come on, Stormy. We need to find you a place to stay for the night. Then I'll set you free in the morning. I promise." With that, she led her new friend to her room. It was really her mother's old room, but Melody called it her own whenever she came to visit.

Getting inside, Melody gently beckoned Stormy forward.

When Stormy saw the door, he backed up and started whinnying fearfully.

"Stormy, it's okay." Melody assured him. "I'm not going to tie you up. I would never do that to you. You just need to stay in here until tomorrow. I'll bring you dinner in a little while. It's okay."

After some convincing as well as a few sugar cubes as a treat, Stormy followed Melody inside.

"Thatta boy. Good job!" Melody praised. She shut the door before stretching out on her mother's old bed.

Stormy explored the room a little. He was happy to find he could move about the room freely.

"See?" Melody said as she patted his nose. "I told you. Now you need to stay quiet while I'm at dinner." She explained. "We can't let anyone else know you're here for now. Understand?"

Stormy grunted as though telling Melody he would try.

"Good boy." With that, Melody continued showering Stormy with affection.

It wasn't until she reached a spot behind his right ear, did she discover something.

"Does that hurt, sweetie?" Melody asked gently.

Stormy whinnied in response before trying to back away.

"Okay, Stormy. All right. It's okay. I'm gonna help you." With that, Melody left the room and returned with a coral jar full of ointment.

It took some coaxing, but Stormy finally allowed Melody to treat his various injuries.

Melody talked to him and sung to him the whole time she was cleaning his cuts.

After she was done, she spent some time petting the horse and telling him what a good job he had done.

"I don't understand how someone could hurt you." She said on the verge of tears. "You deserve so much better."

As Melody sat there talking to Stormy, her thoughts wandered to the surface and her mother.

She missed her, even though she was having a good time in Atlantica. She wished she could have come with her. She knew Ariel would have loved seeing Stormy again.

As Melody's thoughts left her mother, she started wondering how long it would be before her family discovered she was missing…

Meanwhile, back at the carnival, King Triton was frantic with worry. He, along with Azara and Pearl had been looking for Melody for the last half an hour now.

"Where could she be?" Triton wondered aloud. "She doesn't usually run off like this."

Sebastian nodded in agreement.

"But she has more of her mudder in her den you know." He commented.

Triton considered Sebastian's words, but he still knew his granddaughter. She wasn't as adventurous as her mother. At least not to the point of not telling someone where she was going.

"Maybe she went back home. " Pearl suggested.

King Triton nodded.

"Maybe you're right. If we don't find her within the next hour, I'll send out a search party." With that, he started leading the way back to the palace.

Halfway there, he posed a question to Azara.

"Where was the last place you saw her?" He asked.

Azara hesitated slightly.

Her worry for Melody overrode her desire to not betray her best friend and she broke.

"She was in a stall talking and petting a wild seahorse." She answered.

"What!" Triton exclaimed in surprise. "She didn't ride him, did she?" He asked anxiously.

"No." Azara said truthfully.

"Good." Triton said with a sigh. Little did he know how wrong he was.

When they returned to the palace, Azara went on ahead of them.

Her voice suddenly floated in from the entrance to the library.

"Grandfather! I found her! I found her!"

"Thank goodness!" Triton said with relive. He swam to where Azara was and gathered Melody into his arms. "Oh Melody, you had us worried sick! Don't ever do something like that again."

"I'm sorry, Grandpa." Melody said sincerely as they pulled away. "I just wanted to explore on my own."

"I know. But you need to be careful." He told her.

"I will." Melody promised.

"Good girl. Now, run along. I'll call you for dinner later."

Melody nodded.

Before she left, she turned back to her grandfather. A hopeful look was in her sparkling brown eyes.

"Ya-your'e not going to tell Mom, are you?" She asked.

Triton thought for a few minutes.

"I suppose not. " He said. "You're' safe and sound after all. But if you do anything like this again…" He trailed off.

"Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you!" Melody exclaimed. She hugged him one more time before swimming off.

Triton chuckled as he watched his youngest granddaughter swim off. She certainly had a lot of her mother's qualities.

Once Melody was gone, Sebastian spoke up.

"You're not going to tell Ariel what happened?" He asked.

"No. " Triton replied. "Melody's safe and sound and she knows she did something wrong. There's no need to worry Ariel for no reason."

Sebastian made a noise of disapproval, but the king ignored him.

Meanwhile, back in her bedroom, Melody was spending time with Stormy once again.

She was really growing attached to her new equine friend. She knew she had to set Stormy free, but she was growing fond of him.

"I love you, Stormy." She said sincerely as she wrapped her arm around his neck.

Stormy nuzzled her in response. This got Melody giggling.

Just then, Andrina called Melody for dinner.

"I'm coming!" Melody called back. She turned her attention to Stormy. "I'll be back soon. I love you. Remember what I said." She reminded him while putting a finger to her lips.

Stormy grunted softly before nuzzling her one more time.

Melody patted his nose before swimming off to dinner.

She only prayed Stormy would be okay until she returned.

She remembered her mother telling her how he didn't like to be left alone for long periods of time. She would eat as quickly as she could and return to him as soon as possible. She knew she couldn't eat too quickly. That would definitely raise her grandfather's suspicions that something was going on.

Arriving in the dining room of the palace, Melody took a seat next to Azara and across from Pearl and Sebastian.

As the food was passed around, Melody took a little of everything, while at the same time trying not to fill her plate up too much.

Once the food was served, Melody took Azara's hand on her left and the family said Grace.

Afterwards, everyone dug in.

Melody tried to concentrate on the conversations going on around her, but it was hard. She wanted to eat and get back to Stormy before he caused a ruckus.

Halfway through dessert, Melody heard a distant whinny. She tried her best to ignore it, but it wasn't easy.

She prayed if she appeared not to notice it, her family wouldn't either.

Her prayers were answered for a little while.

It wasn't until dinner was over that the whinnying got louder.

"What was that?" Triton asked. "Did anyone else hear that noise? It sounded like a seahorse."

Melody shrugged.

"I didn't hear anything." She said.

Triton nodded as he went back to his conversation with Sebastian.

Azara tried to engage Melody in one, but it was apparent five minutes later that her cousin was preoccupied with something.

Finally as the whinnying grew even louder and more insistent, Triton couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Arista, did you feed Sea Biscuit?" He asked, referring to his daughter's horse.

Arista nodded.

"Yes, Father." She replied.

"Well if it's not Sea biscuit, what's making that noise?" Triton wondered aloud.

"It sounds like it's coming from the bedrooms. " Azara piped up.

"You're right. " Triton agreed as the whinnying continued.

He narrowed his eyes at Melody in a way that told her she was busted.

"Azara, Pearl, would you leave Melody and me alone for a minute? We need to talk. " The king said. It was an order, but his voice wasn't full of anger.

"Yes, Grandpa." The girls replied in unison.

As they left, Azara whispered in Melody's ear, "Good luck." With that, they were gone.

Once both girls, along with Triton's five remaining daughters had left, the king turned his attention to Melody.

But instead of yelling at her as he would have done with Ariel, he took a deep breath before starting to speak.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, young lady?"

Melody nodded. But what she said surprised her grandfather.

"Please, Grandpa, please don't send Stormy to a seahorse trader! Please! He needs our help."

"Stormy?" Triton asked in obvious surprise.

Melody nodded.

"Yes." She said. She then explained the whole story to her grandfather.

"I couldn't just leave him there. He needs to be free. Whoever had him tied up hurt him. HE needs us."

Once she was done explaining, King Triton sighed.

"If Stormy's hurt, we better get your mother down here." He said. "She knows Stormy better than I do."

Melody shook her head.

"No, Grandpa, you can't! You promised you wouldn't tell her!" Melody pleaded. She was on the verge of tears and Triton could tell.

Still, he had no choice now.

"I'm sorry, Melody. But I have no choice. You're not in trouble." He assured her. "But we can't do this without your mother's help."

Melody shook her head before the tears started to fall from her brown eyes.

Turning away from her grandfather, she swam away.

"You had no choice, You're Majesty. " Sebastian consoled him.

Triton nodded. He knew Sebastian spoke the truth, but he still felt bad for his granddaughter.

He knew she had Stormy's best interest at heart, but they still needed Ariel's help if they were going to help him.

Meanwhile back in her bedroom, Melody had flopped down on her mother's bed in tears.

Everything had gone horribly wrong. Now her mother was coming down.

It wasn't that Melody didn't want to see her. It was just she wanted to set Stormy free. She didn't want him to be placed in another situation where he would be tied down or worse. She loved him too much.

"Oh Stormy!" Melody sobbed as the horse nuzzled her affectionately. "Everything's gone wrong! I know you'll probably be happy to see Mom again, but now I don't know if I'm gonna be able to set you free. I'm sorry, boy! I'm so sorry!" With that, Melody broke down.

Stormy just continued to nuzzle her in an attempt to help her feel better. He could sense something was wrong and he wanted to help his new friend.

Melody must have cried herself to sleep. The next thing she knew, she woke up to find it was almost nighttime.

A part of her wondered if her mother had shown up yet. She wondered what her grandfather had told her and if she was in any trouble.

As she felt Stormy press his nose against her shoulder, the tears started anew.

As much as she didn't want to say good-bye to Stormy, she also didn't want him to go somewhere else where he might be hurt again.

Meanwhile, Ariel had just arrived in the palace. She went straight to her father's throne-room as he had requested in his message.

Pushing the door open, Ariel met her father's worried gaze.

"Daddy!" She shouted in alarm. "What happened? Is Melody all right?"

"She's fine, dear." Triton assured his youngest daughter. He embraced her tightly. He had really missed her the last few months.

"Thank God. " Ariel said with a sigh of relief. "What happened then?"

Triton motioned for Ariel to sit down.

As she did so, he started to explain.

"One part of me is really proud of her." Ariel admitted once her father was done the story. "And another part wants to beach her until next summer."

Triton chuckled at Ariel's words.

"Now you know how I felt when you did something reckless. But you have to hand it to her, her heart was in the right place. Just like yours was most of the time." He said fondly.

Ariel nodded.

"I know. I better go talk to her." She said. "We'll decide what to do about Stormy in the morning." She then added excitedly, "It'll be so good to see him again!" With that, she swam off in the direction of her old bedroom.

As she got to the door, she heard quiet sobs coming from within.

Her heart broke for her daughter. She knew exactly how she felt.

Suddenly, most of the anger she had felt towards Melody's decision went out the window.

Pushing open the door, Ariel approached her cautiously. She didn't want to scare her. She also didn't want to frighten Stormy.

It was only when she got closer, did she realize Melody was fast asleep.

Stormy was watching her protectively.

His ears perked up when he saw Ariel.

He started to whinny, but Ariel quickly stopped him.

"Shh, shh, Stormy, it's okay. It's me. You remember Ariel, don't you?"

Stormy swam forward in recognition and nuzzled Ariel's cheek.

"Aw, you remember me." Ariel said fondly. "I've missed you so much!" She told him as she gave him a hug. "I see you've met Melody."

Stormy grunted.

"I love her so much. She's a good girl. I knew she would meet you one day. I just didn't think it would be like this." She sighed as she gazed over at her daughter.

Even in sleep Melody looked troubled. She whimpered every now and again, breaking Ariel's heart in two.

After petting Stormy for a few minutes, Ariel knew she had to talk to Melody. The former mermaid also knew that sooner was better than later.

Patting Stormy one more time, Ariel went over to the side of the bed and started coaxing Melody awake.

She put a hand through her daughter's chestnut brown hair before starting to whisper in her ear.

"Melody? Mel, it's time to wake up, sweetheart."

Melody rolled over, away from her mother in an attempt to forestall what she knew was coming.

"Melody, come on, honey." Ariel coaxed yet again. "It's time to wake up."

Slowly, Melody's brown eyes opened. She felt someone stroking her hair and relaxed almost immediately.

"Mom?" She asked sleepily.

"Uh-huh." Ariel confirmed. "It's okay, Mel. It's me. Listen, we have to-" Ariel was cut off by her daughter.

"I know. I'm in trouble. I Don't care! I couldn't leave Stormy there! He needs my help and I'm not going to let him get hurt again!"

"Melody, listen to me." Ariel said gently, but firmly. "Stormy is hurt and he needs help. But we can't give it to him. He has to go somewhere where he can get better. He won't be there for long." She promised as she saw the tears ready to gush from her daughter's eyes.

"Mom! I thought you would understand!" Melody shot back. "You were the one who said he needed to be free when you first met him!"

"I know. " Ariel said as she tried to remain as calm as possible. "And I still believe that. But we can't just free him without letting his injuries heal. If we do, he could get hurt much worse than he is now or worse."

Melody shook her head as more tears came. She wrapped her arms around Stormy's neck, crying into his mane.

"It's not fair!" Melody sobbed. "You won't even try to help him!"

"I am helping him." Ariel insisted. "I'm doing what's best for him right now. I know it's hard for you to understand, sweetheart, but this is what's best for him."

"You don't care about what's best for him!" Melody shouted, her brown eyes flashing with anger. "You just want to see him tied up forever!"

"Melody, that's not true." Ariel said. Her tone was edging on anger now.

Melody's words had also caused her mind to flashback to a time nearly eighteen years ago when she said almost the exact same thing to her father regarding Stormy.

Pulling her mind back to the present, Ariel tried yet again to comfort her, but Melody pushed her away. She was confused, upset and angry all at once. And she was taking it out on the only person she felt could help. But in Melody's eyes, Ariel wasn't helping at all.

"Melody, please." Ariel tried. "Don't do this."

"Leave me alone!" Melody cried desperately. "Just leave me alone!"

Ariel felt like her heart had been split in two. Melody had NEVER told her to leave her alone before. Never.

Fighting back tears of her own, Ariel told Melody she loved her before leaving the room. She would sleep in Andrina's room tonight. She needed her older sister's comfort and advice right now.

Once Ariel was gone, Melody buried her face in Stormy's mane as more tears came. It wasn't fair.

As Melody continued to cry, she made a decision. She was going to set Stormy free and nobody was going to stop her.

Trying her best to calm down, she closed her eyes and waited for sleep to find her. She needed all the rest she could get for the next day…

Early the next morning, Melody awoke to find Stormy lying against her side.

She grinned and patted him on the head.

Feeling the touch, Stormy awoke instantly.

Quieting him down gently, Melody led him out through her window before mounting him once again.

Like before, Stormy took off at a quick pace.

He never made an attempt to throw Melody off, but he didn't slow down either.

As he let out a loud whinny, he made a dash for freedom once again.

The sound was heard throughout the palace. It woke Ariel immediately. She didn't need to think hard to know what it meant.

"Melody!" She shouted in alarm. With that, she raced to the stables, saddled her own horse, Sea Star and raced after her daughter.

Triton joined her in the search shortly afterwards. They were determined to find Melody.

Ariel just prayed her daughter was okay. She remembered her experience with Stormy and she prayed her daughter didn't suffer the same fate.

Unbeknownst to Melody, Triton had sent out a few scouts from the Atlantica Animal center to try and find Stormy and the girl as well. These were the same mer people who were going to take care of Stormy until he was well enough to be released back into the wild.

Ariel just prayed they found Melody first so she could explain things to her. That way, she wouldn't be afraid when she saw them tie Stormy up.

Meanwhile, Stormy had gone straight into the wilderness just as he had done with Ariel.

Only this time, he found himself listening to Melody like he hadn't listened to Ariel. Or at least he tried to listen to her.

When she told him to slow down, he tried his best although it was hard.

When she said stop, he did after a few minutes and the two rested for awhile.

"Good boy. " Melody praised as she patted his nose. "See? You're not so hard to train."

Stormy grunted as he nuzzled her arm affectionately.

Melody sighed as a yawn escaped her lips. She was only planning on resting her eyes for a few minutes.

She ended up falling asleep for a good two hours.

Meanwhile, Ariel and Triton were still searching for Melody.

It was only after they had been searching for a good hour or so, did Ariel spot her daughter. She was sleeping in a patch of seaweed.

Upon first glance, the child looked unharmed.

Ariel thanked God for this.

"I'll get Melody." She told her father. "She'll be less likely to put up a fight if she wakes up in my arms when they're restraining Stormy than if you do it."

Triton nodded. He signaled for the men to wait a minute before going forward and detaining the horse.

Melody felt herself being lifted up and a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her.

She was about to struggle when she heard the familiar voice of her mother meet her ears.

"Mel, it's okay. You're with Mommy now. I have you. You're okay, sweetheart."

Melody relaxed almost instantly as her mother's comforting voice registered in her brain.

The minute Triton saw Melody was securely in Ariel's embrace, he signaled for the men to do their job.

The sound of Stormy whinnying in protest jerked Melody from her half peaceful sleep.

As Melody realized what was going on, she tried to break free of Ariel's hold, but her mother was stronger than she looked.

"Stormy! No! Stormy! Let him go! Let him go! Stormy!" She was crying openly now as she fought to get out of Ariel's safe, but firm embrace. "Mom, let me go! Let me go!" She cried desperately as she watched the men tie Stormy to a make shift trailer. "Stormy!" She turned her attention to her mother in a desperate effort to save her friend. "Mom, please! You can't let them do this! Please!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. " Ariel said truthfully. "But it's the best thing for Stormy now. Melody, listen to me. Stormy will get the care he needs now. Once his injuries heal, we'll release him. I promise.""

"No!" Melody cried. "Stormy!"

Stormy, hearing Melody's distress tried desperately to get free. He looked at her sadly as he realized he couldn't get to her.

Melody managed to break free of Ariel's hold and swam over to the trailer where Stormy was now tied securely.

"I'm sorry, boy!" Melody cried as she patted his nose. "I'm so sorry! I'll get you out." She whispered tearfully. "I promise. I'll set you free soon. I love you!" She told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck for one last hug. "I love you, do you hear me? I'm so sorry!"

Stormy nuzzled her as best he could as the trailer started to move.

As Melody watched it leave and heard Stormy's desperate cries for freedom, she felt her mother hug her from behind.

Unable to watch the sight any longer, Melody sought comfort in her mother's arms.

"Shh, shh, I know, Mel, I know. " Ariel soothed as she carried her back to her own seahorse. "I know, baby. I know. But Stormy will be okay. I know he will."

"How can you say that!" Melody cried as Ariel nudged Seastar into a gentle trot. "He's gonna be tied up again! He doesn't deserve that! He was so scared!"

"I know, honey." Ariel assured her. "I know. But he'll be fine. And once he's better, we'll set him free again. I promise."

"If they let him out at all." Melody muttered tearfully.

"Oh Mel, these people aren't like that. They help animals like Stormy. They don't hold them in captivity for any longer than they have to. They just want to help Stormy heal so he can survive once he's set free."

They had reached the palace by this point and Ariel could see that Melody was exhausted.

Tucking her in bed, she stayed with her until she fell asleep. She could tell it was going to be a long night for all of them.

Melody ended up crying herself to sleep in her mother's arms, breaking her heart.

"I wish I could make it better, sweetheart. " Ariel whispered as Melody finally fell asleep. "But I can't. I love you so much, Melody Noelle Coralsen. I hope you know that. I also hope you can forgive me one day." With that, she made herself comfortable and prepared herself for sleep too…

It had been two weeks since Stormy had been taken to the animal center and Melody hadn't been the same.

She wasn't having as much fun in Atlantica anymore and she just wanted to go back home.

Ariel felt bad for her, but she still knew she had done the right thing for Melody and for Stormy.

Melody would often wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare about Stormy being hurt. This would result in Ariel having to comfort and reassure her and finally sing her back to sleep.

Ariel didn't mind doing this of course, but she also wanted her daughter to feel better. She wanted her adventurous and sweet loving Melody back.

It wasn't until the fourth week that Melody got an idea. She had heard her mother and Grandfather say that it would take about three weeks for Stormy's injuries to heal. They had said they would take Melody to release him in a few days, but the little girl couldn't wait that long.

She was going nuts without her equine friend around. And not knowing if he was okay was making her even more stir crazy.

Melody put her plan into action that Friday.

She made sure her mother was busy hanging out with Andrina and Aquata before leaving the palace.

She made sure Azara wasn't following her before making her move.

Taking the trail she and Stormy had taken the day he had been taken away, she found herself in a remote part of the ocean.

She asked a passing Octopus where the Atlantica Animal center was and he gave her pretty good directions.

It wasn't long before Melody found herself in front of a coral building that looked like a small farm back home.

She made her way inside and tried her best to be as quiet as possible.

Taking a deep breath, she let her heart guide her to where Stormy was being held.

She found him not long afterward.

The room he was in looked big enough and he did have food.

These reassurances didn't make up for the fact that he was tied up again.

When Stormy saw Melody, he started to whinny out of excitement, but Melody quickly hushed him.

"Shh, Stormy, it's okay. I'm here to get you out. I'm gonna set you free. It's okay…" She soothed as she patted his nose and mane.

As she looked him over, she noticed all of his injuries were almost completely healed.

This was a good thing. She only prayed they would continue to heal once Stormy was released.

It didn't take long for Melody to undo the restraints holding Stormy in place.

Once she was done, she climbed on his back and took the reins in her hands.

"All right, Stormy." She said carefully. "Let's go! Nice and slow now."

Stormy tried to obey her, but it was hard. He wanted to get back out into the wide open ocean so badly.

The moment they left the confining room and the building altogether, Stormy picked up speed.

Melody tried her best to slow him down, but her efforts were proving futile.

As she tried desperately to maintain a steady grip, she prayed to God that she wouldn't fall off. She had never been thrown from a horse before and she really didn't want this to be her first time.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, Ariel had just finished spending some time with Andrina and Aquata. They had spent the last hour playing a card game and talking about old times.

After she said good-bye to her sisters and told them she would see them later, she headed back to her room to check on Melody.

She knew her daughter was going through a hard time and she wanted to help her in anyway she could.

"Melody?" She said softly as she opened the door. "Mel? Are you hungry for…" Her voice trailed off when she discovered Melody wasn't there.

She gasped before searching the hallway and library for her.

After she came up empty handed, she raced for the Throne room to tell her father what was going on.

"I think I know where she went." Ariel told him after she explained what had happened. "We need to find her before Stormy takes her too far! I know he wouldn't hurt her on purpose, but…Daddy, we have to find her!"

"We will. " Triton assured her. "You get Sea Star ready and I'll get Sea biscuit." With that, the two were off.

Sebastian joined them at the last minute. He was worried about his niece too.

As the two rode through the ocean, Ariel only prayed and hoped that Melody was okay.

Meanwhile, Stormy and Melody were far out in the wilderness by this point.

They were so far out that Melody didn't recognize anything about it.

This frightened her a little, but she tried to be brave for Stormy's sake.

After all, it wasn't like she was alone.

As they rested for a period of time, Melody's thoughts wandered to her mother. She knew it wouldn't be long before she discovered she was missing.

The little girl also knew she was as good as beached for the next three weeks when she did find her.

Despite this, Melody was glad she had done something to help Stormy. She only prayed she had done the right thing.

As they saddled up yet again, Melody felt the wind pick up as a streak of lightning lit up the ocean surface. She knew this wasn't good. She also knew they had to find a form of shelter where they could wait out the storm that was coming.

As more lightning flashed and the sound of thunder could be heard, Stormy began to panic.

He strained at the reins and tried to go faster than what Melody could handle.

"Stormy, it's okay. Steady boy." She soothed. "We just need to find-" She was interrupted as an especially loud clap of thunder crashed overhead.

This affectively set Stormy off. He bolted even faster, trying to out way the storm.

It soon got to be too much for Melody and she started to lose her grip on the reins!

She tried to calm Stormy down in an effort to regain control, but it wasn't working.

Feeling her grip slipping, Melody screamed in fright as she felt herself fall to the coral floor below.

Fortunately for Melody, Ariel and Triton weren't far behind.

They rounded the bend in time to witness Melodies descent.

"Melody! No!" Ariel cried as she watched her daughter hit the coral floor below.

Rushing to her side, she carefully picked her up and cradled her in her arms.

She prayed to God that Melody would be okay.

"We need to get her to Coral Memorial." Ariel told her father.

Triton nodded as he led the way back towards Atlantica.

When they reached the hospital, a team of doctors examined the injured mer-girl immediately.

Ariel was allowed back with her after they discovered she was King Triton's daughter.

It was a long night, but Ariel didn't leave Melody's side once. She wanted to be there when she woke up.

The doctor explained that Melody had to rest for a few days and then she would be fine.

She also explained that Melody's right wrist was bruised as well as one of her ribs.

Ariel knew both injuries were minor. With the right amount of rest, Melody would be fine.

All she wanted now was for her daughter to wake up.

Melody had been in a coma once before and Ariel wasn't too eager to repeat the experience.

Just as she had done five years before, Ariel sat by her daughter's bedside and started singing to her. She took her hand in hers and held it gently.

Unlike before, it didn't take Melody long to awaken. She heard the familiar sound of her mother singing as her eyes opened.

"Mom?" She asked softly.

Melody!" Ariel said as a sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Thank you Father. Thank you! Melody, you're awake. How do you feel?"

"Sore." Melody replied. "Mom, Stormy didn't mean to…" Her voice trailed off as she sucked in a breath of pain.

"I know, Mel. I know." Ariel assured her. "I don't blame him."

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" The ten-year-old asked.

Ariel put a finger to her lips.

"Shh, just rest for now." She told her. "I'm right here. We'll talk about that tomorrow. Right now you need your rest."

"I love you." Melody said just as she drifted off to sleep. "I'm sorry I got mad at you."

"I know you are." Ariel assured her. "I love you too, Mel. I love you too." Ariel assured her as she planted a kiss on her cheek.

Melody's eyes opened again a minute later. She gasped in fear as well as from pain.

"Whe-where's Stormy?" She asked in a fearful tone.

"He's fine." Ariel assured her. "He's back at the center. We'll release him once you're better. I promise."

Melody nodded. She knew her mother spoke the truth this time. She also knew she would keep her word.

It took Melody over two weeks to recover from her injuries caused by falling off Stormy's back.

Ariel also informed her kindly but firmly that she was beached for the next two weeks once they returned home.

Melody was disappointed, but she understood why her mother was doing it.

Once Melody was fully recovered, she, along with Ariel and Triton made a special visit to the Atlantica Animal center.

Stormy was happy to see them-especially Ariel and Melody.

"Hi boy." Ariel said as she patted his nose. "We're here to get you out for good this time."

"That's right!" Melody said with a giggle as Stormy nuzzled her arm. "You'll really be free now."

Stormy whinnied happily upon hearing this.

"It's like he knows what I'm saying!" Melody said to her mother.

"I always believed he did." Ariel told her daughter.

Melody grinned. She had a feeling she was right.

Once Stormy had been cleared medically, Ariel and Melody untied him and led him outside.

They swam a little ways out into the wilderness before letting go of Stormy's reins.

To their surprise, Stormy didn't take off right away.

Instead he allowed Melody to hug him as well as Ariel. He nuzzled them both before taking off for the wide open ocean once and for all.

"Bye, Stormy!" Melody called after him. "I love you!"

Ariel smiled at her daughter as she too waved good-bye to her old friend.

"He knows, Mel." She told her as she led the way back to the palace. "He knows."

"You think so?" Melody asked as she followed her mother back home.

"I know so." Ariel said with a wink. "I know so."

When they returned to the palace, Ariel told Melody she had lifted her punishment in light of how brave she was when it was time to set Stormy free.

Melody was happy about this. She was still going to miss Stormy though.

Ariel put an arm around the little girl in an effort to comfort her.

"You'll see Stormy again. I can almost guarantee it."

"How?" The child asked.

Ariel smiled.

"Because friends like Stormy never stay away for long. Besides, they'll always be in here." She pointed to her heart before pulling Melody in for a hug. "Just like I will."

"I love you, Mom." Melody said as she let her mother hold her.

"I love you too, Melody. I know you were just doing what you thought was right. And you were thinking with your heart. And that's one of the things I love about you the most." With that, mother and daughter watched the activity going on outside the palace walls.

Both comforted by the fact that no matter what happened, Stormy would always be in their hearts.

And that was enough for now.

THE END


End file.
